Rapide Long Wheelbase

(2015 - ?)

During late March 2015, Aston Martin announced that it is to offer a broader selection of its model range to global markets as part of a UK government Regional Growth Fund package. The conditional £6.9 million investment from the UK government is described as an exceptional support package, that will be delivered if Aston Martin invests in new products.

This will require the firm to invest more in additional engineering (development work will begin this year), but the announcement is a sign of Aston Martin’s intent.

Rapide Long Wheelbase

“Expanding our product range to enable a greater reach into export markets is an essential part of our Second Century business plan,” said Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer. “Having this support from the government to help execute the plan is a meaningful vote of confidence in the future of the company.”

So what might Aston martin do with this investment? Well is rumoured to be working on a long-wheelbase version of the Rapide aimed specifically at foreign markets. Aiming a long wheelbase model at the still booming Chinese market is an obvious choice since consumers in China highly value greater interior space. What makes a stretched Rapide even more likely is that the development work for the stretched chassis has already been done as part of the Lagonda Taraf project.